| WYCOMBE COMPARED TO BARCA
(Thursday 27th September 2001) 
Football League Chief Executive, David Burns, has compared Wycombe to Spanish giants Barcelona. Writing in the September newsletter of Supporters Direct he commented "Within the space of just four days last season, Liverpool played high profile semi-finals against two clubs one would assume have very little in common, Barcelona and Wycombe Wanderers. However, what the clubs do share is that neither have ever been the preserve of a single individual, instead both have been owned and managed for over a century by their supporters"
Burns added "Many have come to view such structures as anachronistic and have suggested they restrict the ability of the club to borrow and to invest and therefore inhibit growth". Burns dosesn't agree with such opinions and points out "In fact, this couldn't be further from the truth. Mutuality is not a thing of the past, instead, as the establishment of Supporters Direct has shown, it is very much part of the future for many football clubs in this country"Supporters Direct is a government initiative, funded by public money, and based at Birkbeck, University of London. Their aim is to help people "who wish to play a responsible part in the life of the football club they support" and they offer support, advice and information to groups of football supporters. All models used and recommended are based on "democratic, mutual and ‘not-for-profit’ principles." They have already help set-up Supporters Trust take-overs at both Lincoln City and Chesterfield and have closely followed the progress of similar schemes at Northampton Town and Bournemouth. Burns says that the option of mutuality is one that clubs in the bottom two divisions could consider "giving those who care most the opportunity to determine the future of their clubs" However, Burns realises it will be no easy ride for clubs taking such schemes on board and suggests that Trusts would need to work in partnership with local business. Supporters too will have to realistic with their demands "They will also need empathy and patience from supporters, which can only be gained through consultation and good communication" commented Burns. Such views from a figure so high in the football heirachy are a breath of fresh air to most football fans. Wycombe's constitution, a reason for heated debate in recent years, could even be a model that is closer to a solution, rather than being 'antiquated' or a 'millstone around our neck' as described by some commentators on the subject. Click here to read all the latest Wycombe news |
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